Members of the trans community, as well as allies, believe that much of this discrimination can be prevented if more people in the cisgender community are educated about trans issues. Misconceptions, myths, and a lack of understanding either intentionally or unintentionally lead to discrimination…

The first step to acceptance is understanding, and with understanding comes critically reviewing your own personal perceptions of the issue(s), as well as related perspectives. Understanding does not always lead to acceptance, but it can pave the way for educated decisions that reduce hate and intolerance.

Transgender youth experience significant barriers to wellbeing. On September 1, we were joined by Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc, Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre (SARAVYC), and Jay Jonah, Master of Social Work student at York University and YouthREX Research Assistant, to discuss recent research that can support the removal of these barriers.

Dr. Saewyc’s research focuses on health issues of youth, particularly how stigma, violence, and trauma influence teens’ health, coping and risk behaviours, and what protective factors in relationships and environments can buffer this trauma for young people. For the past 19 years, she has conducted research with many different groups of vulnerable adolescents, including gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender adolescents, in several countries. Dr. Saewyc was the Principle Investigator of the Canada Trans Youth Health Survey.

Originally from New Brunswick, Jay graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He is currently completing his Masters of Social Work degree at York University. Jay has openly identified as trans for 5 years and has actively worked to create awareness about the daily struggles of trans identified since 2012.